Recruiting – Page 19 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

U No. 13 in Football Recruiting Rankings

Posted on April 23, 2023April 23, 2023 by David Shama

With 11 commits, the Golden Gophers are No. 13 nationally in the 247Sports composite rankings of football recruiting classes for 2024.

The Gophers have picked up five of those verbal commitments this month. “It’s been quite the run the last few weeks,” recruiting authority Ryan Burns of GopherIllustrated told Sports Headliners.

The two recruits with the 247 highest composite rankings are players that excite Burns the most. Offensive lineman Riley Sunram of Kindred, North Dakota and safety Koi Perich of Esko, Minnesota are from small towns but are big names in the recruiting world. Burns said, “I think in this day and age, it proves if you’re good enough they will find you anywhere. …”

Sunram has offers from Big Ten schools, plus Kansas State and Miami (Florida). At 6-5, 295-pounds he is athletic and capable of playing both sides of the football. “I am a big fan of Riley Sunram from North Dakota,” Burns said.

He raves, too, about Perich who not only turned down Iowa and Wisconsin but said no to Michigan. Burns said Perich’s highlight tape just goes on and on with impressive plays, while those of most prep players are much briefer. Perich averaged over 20 points for a winning Esko basketball team and is a track star with achievements including winning the state Class A long jump as a sophomore.

Perich is one of five Minnesotans who are verbal commits. Burns thinks head coach P.J. Fleck and staff are connecting with Minnesotans because the program is winning.

Throw out the COVID year of 2020 and the Gophers have won nine games or more each of the last three seasons and had winning records in the Big Ten. The 2019 team finished No. 10 in the country and qualified for a program rarity, playing in a New Year’s Day bowl game. “They (recruits now) saw the Auburn win,” Burns said about the Gophers winning the Outback Bowl.

The hope is to bolster the 2024 recruiting haul by adding two of the most coveted state players who haven’t committed anywhere yet. Offensive tackle Emerson Mandell from Irondale High School and edge rusher Wyatt Gilmore from Rogers have plenty of big schools in pursuit including the Gophers. “I mean they’re (the Minnesota staff) certainly making a big push; I’ll tell you that,” Burns said. “And those are two big fish that are out there right now.”

Gilmore attended the Oklahoma spring football game Saturday and Burns said potential visits to Wisconsin and Purdue may await. Mandell’s offers include Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Penn State.

“Now I think (the Gophers) they’re trending positively with both,” Burns said. “Do I think both are going to make a decision here in the coming weeks? I wouldn’t say that. But Wyatt Gilmore was just back on campus for what I believe was his fifth visit to campus since he was offered in June. …Emerson Mandell I believe has already been here four times. So they’re (the Minnesota staff) doing their part. We’ll see what those two kids decide.”

Burns said both players have a lot of offers, including from schools with more established Name, Image and Likeness success than the Gopher program. Realistically, what are Minnesota’s chances of commitments from both home state stars? “I think 50-50 to land both is probably a good number right now,” Burns said.

The Gophers had their spring game on Saturday, but they have a double digit number of 2024 recruits and that’s ahead of other years. The Gophers definitely have momentum in recruiting. None of the 11 players are composite four-star players but the possibility is there for that to change. “I think a lot of these kids in this (2024) class already have four-star potential,” Burns said.

In addition to Burns’ input on Sunram and Perich mentioned above, here are comments from him about the other nine verbal commitments the Gophers have. Players are profiled in the order of their 247 recruiting rankings, starting from the highest (after Sunram and Perich) to the lowest.

Jide Abasiri, defensive lineman from Prior Lake High School. At about 6-5, 265, Burns describes Abasiri as “incredibly, incredibly long” and with the potential to perhaps someday “play on Sundays.” The physical ability is there. “He looks the part of what Big Ten defensive linemen look like,” Burns said.

Mo Saine, defensive lineman from Eden Prairie High School. Like Abasiri, he is new to playing football but has the makings of a special player, too. At 6-5, 270, Saine needs more coaching, playing time and dedication in the weight room, but the promise is there for an outstanding college career.

Zahir Rainer, safety from Richmond, Virginia. At 5-10, 185, Rainer takes inspiration from former Gophers All-American safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. who was a dynamo at a similar size. Burns expects Rainer to play with a “chip on his shoulder” and maybe contribute early on special teams. “…Being able to land the son of an eight-year NFL vet with 30 plus offers is a big deal,” Burns added while referring to Wali Rainer.

Corey Smith, wide receiver from Brownsburg, Indiana. Burns said Gopher coaches saw him run in January and were impressed, including the speed of the 6-1, 170-pound athlete. The Gophers were his first Power Five offer, but attention has been growing. “Any time he touches it, he can potentially take it to the house,” Burns said.

Mason Carrier, linebacker from Detroit Lakes High School. Burns said Carrier, at 6-2 and 225 pounds, is an athlete that runs 4.6 in the 40 and reminds him of current Gopher Cody Lindenberg as players deserving of more recruiting interest. Burns added that Carrier is “steadfast” in his commitment to Minnesota and that he’s “very excited about” the northern Minnesota linebacker.

Brady Pretzlaff, linebacker, Gaylord, Michigan. At 6-3, 215, Pretzlaff is long in build and can move well and accepted a Gopher offer in January after Minnesota defensive coordinator Joe Rossi saw him, according to Burns. Stanford offered Pretzlaff recently.

Jaydon Wright, running back, Kankakee, Illinois. Wright is a powerful runner at 220 pounds and reminds Burns of former Gopher Ky Thomas. “He can move like he’s not 220 pounds,” Burns said. “He moves incredibly well for his size.” Illinois has now offered Wright but he remains committed to Minnesota.

Dallas Sims, wide receiver from Clearwater, Florida. The Canadian native has about 20 college offers and at 6-2 has more height than wide receivers on the Gopher roster now. Burns admires Sims’ ability to go up in the air and catch the football, and his competitiveness. “Love that kid’s mindset,” Burns said.

Simon Seidl, cornerback from Hill-Murray High School. Seidl plays for former Gopher assistant coach Rob Reeves who told Burns his player has everything needed by a Big Ten corner. Another player new to football, the 5-11, 170-pound Seidl is “very, very fast,” per Burns, and is an exceptional athlete who also plays hockey and had double digit points last season.

Burns believes Minnesota’s recruiting class for 2024 could eventually total about 22 players.

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Final Four Coach Had Gopher Interest

Posted on March 28, 2023 by David Shama

Brian Dutcher, a University of Minnesota alum, has his San Diego State Aztecs in the Final Four this week in Houston. About 23 months ago there was reason to believe Dutcher might become the new men’s basketball coach at Minnesota.

Dutcher’s contract back then had a reported buyout of nearly $7 million if he were to leave San Diego for another head coaching job—with one exception. The San Diego Union Tribune reported in September of 2020 that Dutcher had a contract in place allowing him to leave for Minnesota with a $1 million buyout.

That signaled Dutcher, a Bloomington native, had a strong interest in coming home even though the Gopher job wasn’t open at the time and wouldn’t be until early March of 2021. A homecoming would have meant living in the Twin Cities and being near his father Jim, the former Golden Gophers head basketball coach, and his three sisters.

When the announcement came that Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle and head coach Richard Pitino had parted ways, Dutcher was coaching his team in the NCAA Tournament. After the Aztecs were eliminated in a first round loss to Syracuse, Coyle and Brian spoke by phone about the Minnesota opening, per Jim Dutcher.

Jim told Sports Headliners yesterday his son and Coyle talked about getting together but never did. Soon after the initial conversation, Coyle called again to say he had hired former Gopher guard and assistant coach Ben Johnson, who was then an assistant at Xavier. Jim said he understood the reasoning at the time for Coyle’s decision to hire a coach with “Minnesota connections” for recruiting and building the program around more high level local talent.

Would Brian have accepted the Gopher job if offered? “I don’t know,” his father said.

What’s for certain is Brian publicly demonstrated his interest in the U by including the modest buyout in his contract. “It’s my school, where I went, and was able to be part of that basketball program with my dad,” Brian told the Union-Tribune. “But it’s still a buyout. It’s not like it’s free.”

Brian, who after graduating from Bloomington Jefferson High School was a student manager for his dad’s teams at Minnesota, has the Mountain West Conference Aztecs in the Final Four for the first time in school history. They play upstart Florida Atlantic Saturday, with the Connecticut and Miami game to follow. Connecticut is the betting favorite, with the Aztecs second.

Jim, who turns 90 on April 17 and still lives in Bloomington, will fly to Houston Thursday along with eight other family members including two grandchildren. There was a decision made awhile ago that if the Aztecs advanced to the Final Four the family would follow.

Despite advancing age, Jim has frequently made trips to San Diego to visit family and watch the Aztecs. He acknowledges “creaky knees” but otherwise is healthy.

“I don’t use a walker or a wheelchair,” Jim said. “I just kind of shuffle a long. But my health is good. I don’t take one pill. My blood pressure is good. It’s just that arthritic knees make it hard to get a long.”

Either through network telecasts or via streaming, Jim and family in Minnesota have watched every Aztecs game in 2022-2023. They have seen the 31-6 Aztecs win the Mountain West regular season title and tournament championship and rattle off four straight wins in the single elimination NCAA Tournament. It was a team that improved over the weeks and months.

“They play defense,” Jim said. “That’s what keeps them in the games. They’re one of the top three defensive teams in the country. …They’re not a great offensive team but the four teams they played in the NCAA Tournament, all of them had their season low scores when they played the Aztecs.”

In a trip to San Diego several months ago Jim met the players at practice. What he’s learned about them is they are a “tight group” with no academic or off court problems. “It’s just a really good group of kids,” Jim said.

Brian uses 10 players in games and on some teams that could cause dissension about playing time but not for the Aztecs. “…They sometimes get better when they go to the bench, and so that’s helped them keep their defense at an elite level because the guys are always rested,” Jim said.

The Aztecs reflect the admirable character of their coach. Humble and without ego, Brian has the same high values as his father who coached the Gophers to the 1982 Big Ten title. The Dutchers have a calm, rational and common-sense approach to basketball and life.

Basketball advice from father to son? Jim acknowledged the two occasionally talk about situational things like handling full court pressure, but Brian has the whole coaching package from recruiting to X’s and O’s. “He’s a better coach than I ever was,” Jim said.

Brian trusts his team even to the extent of falling off a ladder into the arms of his players. It’s become a tradition after winning big games at San Diego State for the coach to climb a ladder and cut down the nets. “…He does that trust fall where he falls backward (and) they catch him,” Jim said. “So he’s done that for a number of years.”

Brian, 63, has been head coach of the Aztecs for six seasons following decades of assistant coaching including at San Diego State starting in 1999. Brian’s 2020 team was 30-2 during the regular season but there was no NCAA Tournament because of the pandemic.

Jim believes that was Brian’s most talented club, with better personnel than this year’s team that is two wins away from winning the school’s and the Mountain West’s first national title. The Aztecs don’t have an NBA prospect on the team, Jim said.

This is a new time in college basketball with players being compensated for name, image and likeness. Each of the Aztecs receive $2,000 per month for community service work like visiting elementary schools or participating in a walk for charity, Jim said. He referred to the amount as “peanuts” compared with what some schools are reportedly paying out for high-end talent.

Brian’s teams have won multiple Mountain West regular season and tournament titles and been to four NCAA Tournaments. His teams have won 77 percent of their games, certainly among the best percentage in college basketball during his six-year span.

Jim said at one time Brian’s goal was to coach until he was 65. But he’s built a power at San Diego State and in the near future the Aztecs may join the Pac-12 Conference. With UCLA and USC leaving the Pac-12 and headed for the Big Ten in 2024, new recruiting opportunities for the Aztecs beckon in southern California.

Brian could certainly coach beyond 65, dad said. Amen to that.

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St. Thomas Point Guard: Unknown to Coveted

Posted on March 21, 2023March 21, 2023 by David Shama

St. Thomas basketball coach John Tauer knows better than anyone his gifted freshman point guard Andrew Rohde will be welcomed with high-fives by a Power Five program.

Rumors have been in place for a while other schools could be tampering with the Summit League Freshman of the Year and encouraging him to transfer programs. Tampering is illegal in college sports but so are other things that are going on in an era referred to as “the wild, wild west.”

“If people tamper, they’re not going to call the head coach,” Tauer told Sports Headliners during an interview a few days ago. “…You just operate the right way as a program and hope others are doing the same, but it’s an interesting time in college basketball.”

Yesterday came news Rohde has entered the transfer portal and is headed for a new school for the 2023-2024 season. In a text to Sports Headliners last night Tauer said: “…We wish him all the best in what promises to be a long and successful basketball career.”

During an interview Friday Tauer didn’t express knowledge of a transfer by Rohde but he made it clear he knows as well as anyone the reality of mass player movement. With the transfer portal a huge change agent for college players, Tauer and other coaches acknowledge there are no guarantees the roster in the fall will look like it does in the spring. Until yesterday’s news, St. Thomas could have returned 12 of 14 players including four starters.

Rohde (right). Photo courtesy of University of St. Thomas.

Wisconsin Badgers fans have been calling for Rohde, a Milwaukee native, to come home for a while now. And Gophers fans would love to have Rohde fill the team’s glaring need for a point guard, but it seems unlikely he would be attracted to a program that is down right now with players leaving and coming off consecutive last place finishes in the Big Ten.

“We’d love to have Andrew (stay),” Tauer said Friday. “He’s an unbelievable kid. He had a tremendous freshman year, and (he is) an even better young man than a player. He’s got an infectious energy. He’s really unselfish, hardworking (and) he’s competitive. He just brings so many wonderful things to the table.”

The 6-6, 185-pound Rohde, who was one of the top three first-year scorers in the country, is a finalist for the Kyle Macy Award, given annually to the nation’s top freshman. He was voted first-team All-Summit, in addition to his freshman honor. He played a team high 33 minutes per game and was the Tommies’ leader in scoring (17.1 per game), assists and steals.

“I think he’s hungry to be great, and that’s not just as a player,” Tauer said. “It’s also as a teammate. …I think over the course of the year he really improved, and that to me is one of the things that is most special about him.”

A player who received no Power Five offers coming out of high school, Rohde can attract a long line of suitors now if he chooses. “I think Andrew could play in the NBA someday if he continues to progress,” Tauer said. “You look at the trajectory of his junior year of high school to his senior year of high school to his freshman year of college and what he just did. …I think Andrew can do whatever he puts his mind to in basketball.”

Rohde’s roots run deep with St. Thomas. He came to the campus as a middle schooler when his brother Sam was part of the basketball program. In high school he received a lot of attention from Tauer and the coaching staff who made him feel wanted and valued.

What Tauer saw in Rohde at Brookfield Central was a player who fit the criteria he values in a prospect: unselfish, skilled, smart and tough. “I thought he embodied those (characteristics),” Tauer said.

Tauer and his staff found an unpolished gem in Rohde, and a player who delivers on the words he loves basketball. Most players say that but only some like Rohde can face pressure situations in a packed arena and wear a smile on their faces. “That’s when you know,” Tauer said.

Tauer, who just completed his 12^th season coaching the Tommies, has a doctorate in sport-related psychology. He has long been aware of the pressure and stress college freshmen face in transitioning not only to basketball but all of campus life including academics. “We don’t put (establish) quantitative goals for anybody as far what they can do their freshman year. Now I will tell you in the summer we felt like he (Rohde) was going to be elite. We knew he was going to play a ton of minutes and have the ball in his hands a lot, and the kind of role that he did.

“To his credit I think he took that and ran with it and continued to improve over the year. That’s the thing I keep coming back to is how coachable he was. …He was hungry and open to whatever feedback I had for him.”

Tauer now has three scholarships available and plans to fill out his roster either through the portal or with high school talent within a month or so. He was hoping, of course, to not have a scholarship become available because of Rohde’s departure.

“I think the sky’s the limit for Andrew,” Tauer said. “I’ve always felt that.”

The Tauer-coached Tommies just finished season two of their challenging transition from Division III to Division I, playing in the mid-major Summit League. It’s been a more than successful time, just like the preceding years when Tauer was a Division III National Coach of the Year and the Tommies were a program that could play with anyone at their level.

Before last season the Tommies were predicted to finish eighth in the 10-team league but placed fourth. The team was 19-14 overall, 9-9 in conference play and nearly doubled its win total for all games from the previous year.

Tauer said via text last night he is “thrilled” with the progress of his program. “…The culture in our program is unique and has helped us sustain success over the past several decades.”

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